AAH team leader Mr. Miiro M. Mivule facilitating a session during the workshop [©Gurtong/ Joseph Nashion]
By Joseph Nashion
YAMBIO, 24th April 2012 [Gurtong]
The workshop was organized by a nongovernmental organization -Action Against Hunger (AAH), held at the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) premises in Yambio drawing participants from Central Equatoria State (CES) and Western Equatoria State (WES).
A team leader from AAH Mr. Miiro M. Mivule told Gurtong that there are four cooperative societies so far operating within WES namely; Remenza, Buguga, Ningdo and Morobo cooperative societies. These societies have been providing extension services since 2009 to date.
Miiro said the purpose of the workshop was to give knowledge and skills to the lcitizens on how to operate the food processing machines, food safety, branding and food packaging for both international and national consumption.
Mr. Mivule said that the project also targeted growers and it has also assisted in the clearance of feeder roads for farmers to transport their farm produce to markets. The farmer’s associations will be taken on an exposure tour to Uganda.
A participant Mr. Kefa Dani Buti told Gurtong that, “we have been ignorant about food processing and food hygiene but now having attended this workshop I can say this is a promising year.”
He also urged the government and the concerned ministries to continue supporting them with such services.
The director general of the WES Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Marcello told Gurtong that they depend on agriculturalists’ technical advice hence engaging consultants specialized in different areas to train local farmers about food security and value addition.
He urged the workshop attendees to improve the new nation’s food processing and quality to reduce the importation on the same in order to be self reliant.
The director urged the farmer not to think of the oil money, because South Sudan has other minerals like gold still intact.